A lot of people in the community have jumped on the Colorado men's basketball bandwagon over the last two seasons while the Buffs were advancing to the NIT semifinals, capturing the Pac-12 Tournament title, and winning an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in 15 years.

The recent success and growing popularity of the program made Tad Boyle the obvious choice to be the official starter of the 2012 Bolder Boulder.

CU's head coach joins a list of other notable local sports icons to start the race, including Frank Shorter, Ellen Hart Pena, Ed McCaffrey and Davis Phinney.

Colorado men's basketball coach Tad Boyle will be the official starter of the Bolder Boulder this year.
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CLIFF GRASSMICK
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"We are pretty excited to have Tad be a part of what we're doing," Bolder Boulder race director Cliff Bosley said. "I think coaches have a good perspective on athletics, community and life. And how to temper all three."

Boyle plans to return the favor by joining the masses in running the celebrated Memorial Day 10K in 2013.

"It's interesting, I'm 49 years old right now and I've never run in a Bolder Boulder," Boyle said. "I think I'm going to make it a goal to run in next year's Bolder Boulder. I'll be 50 years old and I think it would be kind of a neat thing to shoot for."

How about the A wave?

"I'm not saying I'm going to compete in next year's Bolder Boulder," Boyle said. "There's a lot of people like me that have never run in it. I'm going to try to make it a first-time deal."

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Bosley predicts that Boyle won't be a one-and-done running recruit.

"It will probably get him hooked," Bosley said. "And being a competitor he might want to be an age group champion."

Boyle, who was a prep basketball star in Greeley before playing at Kansas, used to stay in shape by running the court. Even though coaches spend countless hours inside gymnasiums, keeping fit can be difficult given the travel and time demands of their profession.

"Some people think I practice with the team, which is ludicrous. There's no way I could get up and down the floor," Boyle said. "It's a challenge to work exercise into your routine. And the thing about coaching college basketball is it's hard to get into a routine. It's hit or miss sometimes."

Boyle tries to use down time on the road by working out at the team hotel. But most of his free time at home is spent with his family.

"I've never been an avid runner," Boyle said. "I jog, I do treadmill work. I tell people that I workout so that I can eat, not because I love working out."

Before making the life-changing career decision to get into coaching at the collegiate level, Boyle spent eight years as a stock broker at a firm located just off the Pearl Street Mall. Anyone who lives or works near the course has an understanding of how big the Bolder Boulder has become.

"I remember going to a Bolder Boulder and watching it from the street. I was impressed with just how many people are into running," Boyle said. "I know it's part of the fabric of this community. I think that's why it's so appropriate that it's here and that it has grown to the magnitude that it has. It's pretty special."

The Bolder Boulder and CU have always had a symbiotic relationship. In just four weeks the Buffs basketball coach will get the race started, and the 50,000-plus participants will finish inside Folsom Field.

"It's a great honor. I'm humbled that they asked me," Boyle said. "I'm excited about it because it's a great event for our community and it's a great event for the University of Colorado. I think that's what's kind of neat about the Bolder Boulder is it brings so many different people together. It's not just a race, it's an event."

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